I called into Eccles Town Hall last night to see the latest production from Barton Theatre Company, Postcards From Salford, slightly puzzled as to how the company could cram 100 years of celebrating Salford’s people, places and stories into the two hour show…. and I’m so delighted I attended.
The audience were treated to a whirlwind of short sketches which had me enthralled from the moment the lights dimmed as the cast delighted us with songs. sketches, pathos, humour, music, poetry and a Good Old Days type sing-along, which the audience joined in with gusto.
Basically the show depicts moments in Salford’s illustrious history, don’t worry Eccles is included with an hilarious excerpt from Hobson’s Choice written by Eccles man, Harold Brighouse, the wedding proposal from Maggie to a timorous Will Mossop played by a wonderful Jack Carberry.
There are some 18 sketches in the show covering, Eccles Wakes Week, Ship Canal Navvies, Coding, Friday Night at the Moorlands, Tony Warren, William Crabtree, Eccles Cakes, Suffragettes, Music Hall, a video of The Secret Garden, live music, Steps Upon The Glacier written by Peter Maxwell Davies and a beautiful poem Fairytale of Salford performed by Lynn Walton.
And now the hard bit…I thoroughly every sketch but there were a few standout moments for me which I would like to share with you.
Dot Gets Coding is a lady of a certain age musing on computers and the effects they have on our lives without noticing, she even mentions bots! I was intrigued to read this sketch was inspired by Salford born mathematician, Leslie Yoxall who along with Alan Turing worked at Bletchley Park in World War Two, codebreaking.
The Longstone Diaries is a heartbreaking sketch looking at the terrible working conditions in local mills, especially the horrific death of Patrick Nolan in 1850’s in a work accident and the devastating impact it has on his widow, Martha, leading her to Salford workhouse, a grim reminder of Old Salford.
I loved the soliloquy by cast member, Eric Atkinson, for Tony’s pitch, in which it’s imagined Tony Warren pitching his idea for Coronation Street to the Granada Television, commissioning agents and his joy at getting 16 episodes, we all know how that has panned out!
I can’t praise the show highly enough, with first class acting, live music, poetry and so much more, also I must mention Brian Cogswell the MC for the show in full drag who introduces each sketch with his own camp asides, loved it!
So I would urge you to call into Eccles Town Hall either tonight at 7.30pm or tomorrow afternoon at 3pm and not only support your local Barton Theatre Company but have a rollicking good time out
Cap doffed to all the actors, backstage personnel, lighting chap and the staff at ECHO…Chapeau!
A solid Nine out of Ten for me..it would be Ten but the final sketch when all the cast get on stage and sing Dirty Old Town by Ewan MacColl and for some reason the word Salford has been omitted and the sanitised version is sang!
